Fluid spreading and wiping device for etching machines for rotogravure cylinders

ABSTRACT

A fluid spreading and wiping device for etching machines for rotogravure cylinders including a wiping roller attached by two arms to the etching trough and which arms are moved to impart a circular motion to said wiping roller.

nited States Patent 1191' Baumgartner 1 May 14, 1974 FLUID SPREADING AND WIPING DEVICE [56] References Cited ROTOGRAVURE CYLINDERS 2,543,895 3/1951 Corbett 118/232 [76] Inventor: Kurt Baumgartner, Schwander, 2,926,076 2/1960 Guenst 156/14 3054 Schupfen, Switzerland [22] Filed: Apr. n, 1972 Primary Examiner-Le0n G. Machlin [21] Appl. No.: 243,367 ABSTRACT A fluid spreading and wiping device for etching mm [30] Fol-mg Appllcatmn Pnomy Data chines for rotogruvure cylinders including a wiping May 27, 1971 Switzerland 7746/71 roller attached by two arms to the etching trough and which arms are moved to impart a circular motion to [52] US. Cl l5/256.52, 118/232, 156/14, id wi i g roller,

l5/256.53 51 11m. (:1. B05c l/06, B05c 1/16 4 2 D'awmg Flgures [58] Field of Search 15/230, 97 R, 102,4, 256.52,

1 FLUID SPREADING AND WIPING DEVICE FOR ETCIIING MACHINES FOR ROTOGRAVURE CYLINDERS The invention concerns a fluid spreading and wiping device for etching machines for rotogravure cylinders, comprising a wiping roller attached to the etching trough by two arms and rolling on the rotogravure cylinder.

Wiping devices extending for the full width of the rotogravure cylinder and imparted with a reciprocating wiping motion are known. Wiping devices have also been provided with wiping blades or rollers, made of soft and porous material to remove the loose iron cloride and minimize its corrosive action.

A slow reciprocating motion of the wiping device results in an uneven wiping action, due to the timing of the motion at each ends of the device. A rapid reciprocating motion of the wiping device can cause damage to the wax coating of the rotogravure cylinder.

The object of the present invention is to eliminate the above-mentioned disadvantages, by imparting the wiping device with a circular motion which covers every point of the plate cylinder evenly, in every direction rather than by a two ways reciprocating motion.

This way, the wiping action is improved substantially and the corrosive action is greatly reduced.

The invention is characterized by a fluid spreading device, placed alongside the wiping roller removably attached to two arms themselves suspended each by their pivot to eccentrics, said eccentrics been oriented parallelly to the wiping roller and rotating within a bearing-block, each eccentric been attached to a bevel gear engaging a mating bevel gear fixed to a coaxial shaft revolving within the bearing-block, so that, a rotation of the shaft, turning the eccentrics to which the wiping roller is suspended by the arms, will impart, in the plane of the arms, a circular motion to the wiping roller.

The enclosed drawings are representing a form of execution of the invention, in which,

FIG. 1 is a partial cross section view of the wiping roller, with the arms and the eccentric, out along the axis l-l of FIG. 2.

HO. 2 is a side view of the wiping roller with a cross section through the eccentrics.

The fluid spreading and wiping device comprises a wiping roller 1, movably supported at each end by an arm 3, and rolling on the rotogravure cylinder 2, which must be etched.

Between the two arms 3, a dispenser 4, in the form of an elongated hood, is placed close to the wiping roller l. The arms 3 are attached by a pivot, each to a pair of eccentrics 5.

Each eccentric 5 is oriented parallelly to the wiping roller 1 and supported within a bearing-block 6 by a shaft 7 on which a bevel gear 8 is secured. The latter engages a mating bevel gear 9 secured on the shaft 10. The shafts 10 are, each, coaxially mounted within the bearing-block 6 and are supporting a driving wheel ll placed on the outside of the etching trough. By revolving the shaft I0, by means of the wheel II, the eccentrics 5, through the arms 3, are imparting, in the plane of the arms 3, a circular motion to the wiping roller 1. The bearing-blocks 6 are movably attached to the walls 12 of the etching trough. A lever 13 is attached on each of the bearing-block 6, to adjust the pressure of the roller on the rotogravure cylinder.

The bearings 14 of the wiping roller 1 are provided with sealing rings 15 and drop collecting grooves 16. The bearings 14 are secured to the arms 3 by three externally accessible screws 17. This is allowing a rapid change of the wiping roller 1.

I claim:

1. A fluid spreading and wiping device for etching machines for rotogravure cylinders comprising a pair of spaced apart arms, a wiping roller extending between and rotatably supported by said arms, a fluid spreading means positioned alongside said wiping roller and detachably connected to said pair of arms, bearing blocks, means supporting said bearing blocks and capable of being mounted on the etching machine, driven shafts each rotatably extending through a different one of said bearing blocks, a pair of bevel gears each fixedly attached to a different one of said driven shafts, eccentrics rotatably mounted in said bearing blocks parallel to said wiping roller, a second pair of bevel gears each meshing with one of said first pair of bevel gears and fixedly connected to a different one of said eccentrics for rotating the same, said arms being suspended from said eccentrics in a position for permitting said wiping roller to roll on the rotogravure cylinder in use whereby driving of said eccentrics will impart a circular motion to said wiping roller on the plane of said arms.

2. A fluid spreading and wiping device as claimed in claim 1 including driven wheels outside said bearing blocks and fixedly attached to said shafts.

3. A fluid spreading and wiping device as claimed in claim 1 including a lever attached to one of said bearing blocks whereby said bearing block can be moved for adjusting the position of and pressure of said wiping roller on the rotogravure cylinder in use.

4. A fluid spreading and wiping device as claimed in claim 1 including hearings on said wiping roller, sealing rings provided on said bearings, said bearings having drop collecting grooves and screws detachably connect said bearings to said arms. 

1. A fluid spreading and wiping device for etching machines for rotogravure cylinders comprising a pair of spaced apart arms, a wiping roller extending between and rotatably supported by said arms, a fluid spreading means positioned alongside said wiping roller and detachably connected to said pair of arms, bearing blocks, means supporting said bearing blocks and capable of being mounted on the etching machine, driven shafts each rotatably extending through a different one of said bearing blocks, a pair of bevel gears each fixedly attached to a different one of said driven shafts, eccentrics rotatably mounted in said bearing blocks parallel to said wiping roller, a second pair of bevel gears each meshing with one of said first pair of bevel gears and fixedly connected to a different one of said eccentrics for rotating the same, said arms being suspended from said eccentrics in a position for permitting said wiping roller to roll on the rotogravure cylinder in use whereby driving of said eccentrics will impart a circular motion to said wiping roller on the plane of said arms.
 2. A fluid spreading and wiping device as claimed in claim 1 including driven wheels outside said bearing blocks and fixedly attached to said shafts.
 3. A fluid spreading and wiping device as claimed in claim 1 including a lever attached to one of said bearing blocks whereby said bearing block can be moved for adjusting the position of and pressure of said wiping roller on the rotogravure cylinder in use.
 4. A fluid spreading and wiping device as claimed in claim 1 including bearings on said wiping roller, sealing rings provided on said bearings, said bearings having drop collecting grooves and screws detachably connect said bearings to said arms. 